What is the point of a Welsh Labour government if it merely passes on UK Tory cuts? By Dave Reid Happy New Year! – the Welsh government has put forward a devastating budget for public services in Wales for 2024. The figures are terrifying: £1.3 billion of cuts in real terms since 2021, even though Welsh Government ministers have said ...

By Dave Reid The next UK government is likely to be a Labour government led by Keir Starmer. The huge lead that Starmer currently enjoys is not a vote of confidence in him, the current leadership of the Labour Party or their (non) policies. Rather it is a reflection of the disgust with the divided Tory party and the effects ...

By Dave Reid An important section of the workforce at Newport Passport Office have begun five weeks of strike action as part of action by 1,000 Passport Office workers nationally. Members of PCS, the civil service union, in the examination department at the office are taking action until May 5th to fight for a decent pay rise. The government has ...

By Dave Reid 600 jobs at a semiconductor plant in Newport have been thrown into doubt as the plant is caught between farcical mismanagement by the Tory UK government and geopolitical rivalry between imperialist powers. Business secretary Grant Shapps has blocked the sale of microchip firm Newport Wafer Fab to Nexperia, a Chinese-owned company, on national security grounds. He has ...

By Dave Reid CWU members in Royal Mail were out on the picket lines across Wales today as part of a national stoppage for a decent pay rise without strings. Postal workers made newly-privatised Royal Mail £758 million profit in the last two years, essential workers who kept the service going through lock-down. £400 million has been paid to shareholders ...

By Dave Reid Over 200 attended a strike solidarity rally called by Cardiff Trades Union Council on August 20th. Called at short notice in the middle of the holiday period, the rally was an impressive show of the developing strength and confidence of organised workers taking action or preparing for action. As well as Brendan Kelly, regional organiser for the ...

Save Jobs, Nationalise P&O Ferries! By Dave Reid P&O Ferries, owned by Dubai-based DP World have sacked 800 workers in a pre-recorded message on zoom. The bosses turned up with agency workers to replace them backed up by security guards ready to handcuff workers who refused to leave the ships. Workers responded by occupying some of the ferries and are ...

Review of “The Welsh Way” by Dave Reid The Welsh Way: Essays on Neoliberalism and Devolution Edited by Daniel Evans, Kieron Smith and Huw Williams Published by Parthian Books, 2021, £10 Ever since the first devolved Welsh assembly in 1999 the idea has been promoted by many on the left that Welsh Labour, and the Welsh governments led by it, ...

By Dave Reid Panasonic workers at Pentwyn in Cardiff have won a significant victory against the multinational giant. Today the company caved and increased its pay offer from zero to 5.5% over two years plus a £300 bonus. The fourth day of strike action has been suspended while the offer is being put to the members. This represents yet another ...

By Dave Reid Welsh Labour and Plaid have reached an agreement that will give the Welsh Labour government led by Mark Drakeford a working majority. Labour won 30 out of the 60 Senedd seats in the election earlier this year, not enough for a controlling majority, and so has had to reach an agreement with Plaid which has 13 seats. ...